Numerous vehicle locating devices have been provided in prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,697 to Daifotes; U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,211 to Jokel; U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,265 to Bushong; U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,215 to Anders et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,568 to Feichtiger et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,121 to Gross all are illustrative of such prior art. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
The Daifotes U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,697 discloses an emergency blinker and flag display. A fold up spring loaded arm is pivotally mounted on a vehicle and houses a folded flag tethered to one end of a second arm pivotally mounted on the free end of the spring loaded arm so as to open up, jack-knife fashion, upon release of the spring loaded arm from latched horizontal position in the vehicle to unfurl and display the flag for full view exteriorly of the vehicles. A manually controlled means in the vehicle is for releasing the spring loaded arm from latched position. The warning signal also including an electrically illuminating lamp or lamps on the free end of the second named arm for illuminating the flag and for attracting attention to the warning means by on and off blinking of such lamps when the arms are in raised vertical position.
The Jokel U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,211 discloses a device for marking cars. The device for attaching an identifying display to the antenna of a car in a parking lot has a threaded rod with a lengthwise channel that fits over the stem of the antenna, a lower nut that confines the stem in the channel, an upper threaded sleeve that fits over the enlarged tip of the antenna, and a screw that fits into the top of the sleeve. A ribbon or flag can be tied through a vertical slot in the top of the screw or a rigid display member can be threaded onto it.
The Bushong U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,265 discloses a signal supporting apparatus. A support for removably mounting a signal on the roof of a vehicle comprises a body connected at one end to the signal and having legs at its opposite end for removable accommodation between a pair of hinged members. One of the hinged members is fixed to the vehicle and the other is spring biased toward the fixed member. The legs of the body have retainers removably accommodated in openings formed in the movable one of the hinged members.
The Anders et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,215 discloses a disabled motor vehicle help summoning device. The help summoning device for the disabled motor vehicle includes a base housing securable to the vehicle and defining a battery compartment and a first pin socket mast mounting member electrically connected to the battery. A telescopically extendable mast having two sections axially collapsible to substantially the length of one section but remaining elongated once extended is hollow and includes a second pin socket in its base which can be coupled to the first pin socket to assembly the device. A bulb socket is secured in the upper end of the mast with electrical wires extending through the mast and being of sufficient length to extend between and interconnect the bulb socket and the second pin socket. A brightly colored rigid flag is secured to the upper mast section with a portion of the flag relieved around the bulb socket which receives a flasher bulb and a lens surrounding the bulb and engaging the upper end of the mast in the relieved portion of the flag. The device is secured to a vehicle either magnetically or through a Velcro fastener.
The Feichtiger et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,568 discloses an actuating drive for installation in a body of a motor vehicle. The actuating drive for installation in the body of the motor vehicle, from whose housing an actuator is guided therein can be retracted and extended through an exit opening. A mount is provided for attaching the housing to the body with the exit opening of the attached housing being supported at the edge on an edge of a body opening that can likewise be penetrated by the actuator. According to the invention, the housing is guided so as to be displaceable with respect to the mount to and for along a displacement axis in the direction of movement of the actuator. A clamping device is provided for displacing the housing with respect to the mount along the displacement axis, by means of which the housing, which is supported on one side at least indirectly on the mount, can be clamped on the other side against the edge of the body opening.
The Gross U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,121 discloses a device for marking a vehicle. The device for marking the vehicle is provided having a base for attaching the device to the vehicle. A cantilevered support rod is pivotally connected with the base to permit pivotal movement and positioning of the rod relative to the base. A hollow marking sleeve having an outer transparent tube and an inner fluorescent liner disposed within the tube slidably mounts onto the support rod for marking the vehicle. The sleeve engages the support rod with sufficient contact force to retain the sleeve in position on the support rod. The sleeve is slidably removable from the support rod so that the sleeve may be pulled from the support rod.